Rural Arkansas School District Upgrades Security Following Incident

Rural Arkansas School District Upgrades Security Following Incident

Dover School District is implementing a new visitor management system and enhancing video surveillance.

Dover School District, a rural school system in Arkansas is upgrading its security system following an incident earlier this month. Administration saw just how their security measures worked weeks ago when a teacher thought she heard gunshots on campus and alerted the administration, which called the police and put the school in lockdown.

Superintendent Josh Daniels said the gunshot was actually a hunter who was a few miles away, the gunshot had "echoed off some of those hills and it was heard on campus." Regardless, the campus was able to see how their safety policies and security measures stacked up in the event of an emergency.

The district is evaluating the schools camera system throughout the buildings and is beginning to check drivers licenses as visitors gain access to the campus. The new visitor management system allows office staff to scan licenses through the Arkansas State Police registries. If cleared, the visitor is given a badge and allowed on campus.

"We want all these features in place so that everyone is reassured and that the kids are safe while they are here with us," Daniels said.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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